Tag Archives: #holytrinity

About two years ago on this blog, I did a rhyming French food alphabet post for Bastille Day.

It was a lot of fun, and I knew I had to follow up with a “French Colonies” edition, with a focus on North America and surrounding islands: Haiti (H), Louisiana (L), and Quebec (Q). Each line is followed by the appropriate letter so you know which state, or country, created what food.

In Quebec, French foodways met Irish, English, and Indigenous ones. Because Quebec has a cold climate, its signature foods have a ‘wintry’ personality: rich soups, smoked meats, and meat pies, all things you eat to stay satiated and warm in the snow when nothing is growing.

French has lots of B, C, D, G, L, and M words, and its relatives in North America and in the Caribbean are very similar. I was hard pressed to find K, N, U, W, and X food words, so I went with nearby foods or food regions for this alphabet.

A is for Andouille. It’s a spicy smoked pork sausage that’s chewy. (L)

B is for Beignets. They are fried dough squares. Once you’ve tried them, it’s hard to stay away. (L)

M is also for Mayi Moulen. It’s a cornmeal dish that isn’t fooling. (H)

N is for Natchitoches. It’s ahandheld meat, vegetable and spice turnover for snacking, if you wish. (L)

O is for Oysters. It’s fried shellfish in a po’ boy sandwich. Have an Abita to quench your thirst. (it’s “ersters” in L; Harry Connick Jr. showcased his NOLA roots in his version of “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off.”)

O is also for Oysters Bienville. These shellfish are cooked withshrimp, sherry, garlic, and bechamel sauce on top, if you will.

P is for Poutine. Eating too many french fries smothered in gravy and cheese won’t keep you lean. (Q)

T is also for Tassot. It’s spicy fried strips of meat; it could be seasoned with cayenne sauce, like Tabasco. (H)

U is for the UGLI. It’s a large, teardrop citrus fruit from Jamaica, which neighbors Haiti. Could they grow these tangelos in Haiti? I would think so, but you might not agree. (H)

V is for Viande. It means smoked meats that blow expectations and beyond. (Q)

W is for Watercress. It’s a leafy vegetable fixture in salads and soups, that adds finesse. (H)

X is for Xavier. This consommé soup blends simple ingredients (stock, eggs, and herbs) with flair.

Y is for Yogout. It means yogurt, which is often blended with fruit. (H)

Z is forZaboca. It means avocado, a vegetable with fresh aroma. (H)

Z is also for Zeste, a Québécois food channel, if I may suggest. (Q) [To enjoy authentic Quebec cooks creating delicious dishes, check it out here.]

*Lowcountry means coastal South Carolina and Georgia in the USA, not to be confused with Europe’s “Low Countries” = Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg (Benelux) in Europe. “Hoppin’ John” has many interpretations around the South and the Caribbean, changing out the beans used to suit tastes or availability. Hoppin’ John is eaten with collards on New Years Day for luck and good fortune the rest of the year.